Holder for minicomputers or similar apparatus

ABSTRACT

In a holder for minicomputers or similar apparatus, including a planar body, which is inclined in a normal operating position, and clamping jaws arranged at opposite sides for engaging therebetween an apparatus placed onto the planar body, the planar body has at least at one end thereof a guide groove with stop fingers slidably supported in the guide groove so as to extend therefrom upwardly above the surface of the planar body to prevent any apparatus from sliding off the planar body, the stop fingers being position adjustable along the guide slot for accommodating plug or connections provided at the bottom end of the apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a holder for minicomputers and similarapparatus, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) or cellulartelephones. Such minicomputers, which are often used as organizers,telephone directories and other organizational aids, may also be used asGPS navigation systems. For supporting such devices in a car or on adesk, device holders (PDA holders) are provided which are designed insuch a way that the minicomputer can be simply deposited on such aholder and also easily be retrieved while remaining readily accessiblewhen deposited on the holder. The device holders are often supported bya so-called goose neck that is an arm which is mounted on a console formounting in a car or attachment to a desk and which is bendable so thatthe device holder can be arranged in a position convenient for the userof the device. The holder comprises a plate structure on which theminicomputer is supported and two opposite side clamping jaws, whosedistance is adjustable and which are provided with some padding forengaging the device.

However, since the device holder is disposed often in a steeply inclinedposition as convenient for the user, the plate structure is provided atthe bottom end thereof with two fingers which form a stop for the deviceto prevent its sliding out of the holder when the holder is in such asteeply inclined position.

Since the devices of various manufacturers have the plugs and cableconnections at the lower edge of such devices at different anddifferently spaced locations, each type of device generally requires aspecial holder where the stop fingers are arranged so that the plugs andcable connections of the particular device are accommodated, that is,they must be arranged at locations where they do not interfere with theplugs or cable connections. Holders can therefore not be useduniversally for any type of device. A universal use is also impossiblebecause some minicomputers include also operating elements at the sidesthereof so that the clamping jaws must be provided at locations wherethey don't interfere with operating elements at the sides of the device.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device orapparatus holder which is adaptable to various devices or types ofminicomputers or similar apparatus so that it can be used universally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a holder for minicomputers or similar apparatus, including a planarbody, which is inclined in a normal operating position, and clampingjaws arranged at opposite sides for engaging therebetween an apparatusplaced onto the planar body, the planar body has at least at one endthereof a guide groove with stop fingers slidably supported in the guidegroove so as to extend therefrom upwardly above the surface of theplanar body to prevent any apparatus from sliding off the planar body,the stop fingers being position adjustable along the guide slot foraccommodating plug or connections provided at the bottom end of theapparatus.

With the arrangement of the finger stops such that they can beindividually moved along the lower end of the holder and consequentlyadjusted to clear any plugs or cable connections of a particular devicesupported on the holder, the holder can be used for supporting most anytype of device on the market.

In a particular embodiment of the invention also the clamping jaws maybe adjustable or provided with adjustable members such that sideoperating elements of devices supported on the holder can beaccommodated.

In a particularly advantageous arrangement, the side clamping jaws arenot arranged centrally but off center and the means for supporting thefinger stops are provided at both ends of the holder so that the fingerstops can be mounted at either end of the holder and, depending on whichend of the holder is used as the bottom part, the side clamping jaws arearranged at different distances from the finger stops.

The invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription thereof on the basis of the accompanying drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the device holder according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device holder, and

FIG. 3 is a front view of the device holder.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The figures show the arrangement according to the inventionschematically while omitting extraneous features. The device orapparatus holder shown in the figures comprises a planar body 1 having asurface for supporting the apparatus. In a position, as generally used,the holder is inclined. At opposite sides of the planar body 1, thereare clamping jaws 2 which are movable relative to each other for holdingtherebetween the apparatus or device and at the narrow lower end of theplanar body 1 two stop fingers 3 are provided for holding a device orapparatus on the planar body 1.

The planar body 1 is in the form of a flat box, in which an operatingand tensioning mechanism for the clamping jaws 2 is contained. Thebottom side of the planar body 1 is provided for example with a slotarrangement (see, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,995; 6,749,160) forreleasably mounting the planar body 1 onto the head of a support arm).

The two opposite clamping jaws 2 are movable relative to each otherbetween an outward end position (not shown) in which they are movedfully apart and a clamping position in which they engage therebetween adevice placed onto the planar plate. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, theclamping jaws are arranged off-center in the longitudinal direction ofthe planar body 1.

The stop fingers 3 are not rigidly mounted to the planar body 1, but areseparate parts. They are supported at one longitudinal end of the planarbody 1, that is the lower end thereof with their feet 31 received in aslide groove 11 of the plate body 1 so that they are slidably supportedand can be independently positioned in any desirable spaced relationshipto in a position in which any plugs or connectors inserted into a devicedisposed on the planar body 1 can be accommodated.

Such a slide groove 11 is provided at each longitudinal end of the platebody 1 and each slide groove is open at least at one end thereof so thatthe stop fingers can be removed from one of the slide grooves 11 andinserted into the slide groove 11′ at the opposite end of the plate body1, depending on any operating elements arranged on the side of a deviceor apparatus being supported. Since the clamping jaws are arrangedoff-center, they are arranged either closer to the lower or the upperend of the planar body 1 depending on how the planar body 1 is supportedand the stop fingers are inserted so that they are disposed at the lowerend to prevent the device or apparatus from sliding off the planar body1. Simply by turning the planar body 1 by 180°, the position of theclamping jaws can be changed.

The provision of slide grooves 11, 11′ at opposite ends of the planarbody 1 as shown in the figures and described above is advantageous ifthe clamping jaws are disposed off center. The same is true also forclamping jaws which are provided with windows, which are notsymmetrically arranged with respect to the planar body 1 that is, inshort, whenever turning of the planar body by 180° provides a differentsituation for the device or apparatus supported on the planar body 1.

Of course, at the ends of the guide slots 11 removable stops 12 may beprovided such as screws or clips which must be removed or released tofacilitate the removal of the stop fingers 3 from a particular guidegroove 11, 11″. However, if the stop fingers 3 are engaged in thegrooves 11, 11′ with a sufficiently large slide resistance such stopsare frictionally held in place and removable stops are not needed sincethe stop fingers 3 cannot be moved unless they are moved forcefully by auser.

1. A holder for minicomputers or similar apparatus with a planar body(1) which is inclined in a normal operating position and forms aninclined support surface having a lower end and an upper end, clampingjaws (2) arranged at opposite sides of the planar body (1) for engagingtherebetween an apparatus placed onto the planar body (1), said planarbody having at the lower end thereof a first guide groove (11) and stopfingers (3) having each a foot part (31) slidably received in the guidegroove so as to be movable to any position along the guide groove 11 andextending upwardly from the planar body (1) so as to prevent anyapparatus placed on the planar body (1) from sliding off the planar body(1).
 2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the clamping jaws arearranged off-center with respect to a longitudinal extension of theplanar body (1).
 3. A holder according to claim 1, wherein a secondguide groove (11′) is provided in the planar body (1) opposite the firstguide groove (11).
 4. A holder according to claim 1, wherein releasablestops (12) are provided at the ends of the guide grooves (11, 11′) forpreventing unintended release of the stop fingers (3) from the guidegrooves (11, 11′).